Chapter 239C

3/13/2010

Ch 239C Uncle Gene Schmidt

Ottumwa Navy Pilot

excellent Navy WW2 promotional training video w/ college football, biplane trainers, torpedo bombers

Gene ended up flying maybe 30 different types of planes and helicopters during his career (oldest active pilot). It all started at the primary flight training at Ottumwa, Iowa. These bi-wings were ever so flyable. These lightweight Boeing/Stearman Kaydet N2S open cockpit biplane trainers were used for beginning pilots to really get a feel a seat of the pants hands on feel for what the mechanics of flying was. Yet, Gene had already learned to fly back at SU according to his brother. Found popular 50 member flying club photo from 47 yearbook.

Love the look of these planes. Plenty of videos.

Gene was doing a little solo hot-dogging with another pilot getting too close and had a mid air collision. Gene pulled the rip cord on his chute before he'd cleared the tail. Both pilots survived. Got a symbolic picture of a biplane trainer, the Curtiss JN4 Jenny crashed in an Iowa cornfield linked from an Ottumwa pilot.

This is called this crash fire drill, not sure if it's real or training. Perhaps they ignited and timed the guy doing the fireman carry. We did the fireman carry at MP school too.

The cartoon is from the "Spindrift", an on base newsletter. Cartoon symbolizes gale force winds that are indicated by spindrift, the froth form in oceans (at 50 mph).

Gene flew all sorts of planes and ended up scheduled to fly the Grumman TBM Avenger like George Bush, Sr who also went through the Naval Aviation Pre-Flight School program (in a class with sports stars Ted Williams and Bear Bryant).

My last breakfast at Denny's for a Grand Slam with Gene and Peg was during a Honda swap. We always had a chuckle recalling his early adoption of the tiny 1974 Honda Civic and stuffing his 6-6 hulking frame inside it's diminutive cabin to drive half way across the state.